Open for business: Here are 5 Rangers who could draw interest on the trade market

This Story is About...

Share This Story On...

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Cole Hamels (35) reacts after giving up a single to Houston Astros first baseman Marwin Gonzalez (9) in the sixth inning of their Opening Day game at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas, Thursday, March 29, 2018. The Astros defeated the Rangers, 4-1. Hamels took the loss. (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News)

CHICAGO -- The Rangers began Friday dealing with these truths: They are off to their worst start in 16 years. They have been in last place in the AL West for 40 consecutive days and nights now. They had fallen 11 games out in the division, meaning, for all intents and purposes, they are already out of the race.

So, what you are about to hear may not come as a giant surprise.

Nonetheless, here goes: The Rangers are telling teams they are willing to listen to trade offers.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, the country's preeminent trade market analyst, reported Friday the Rangers have told other clubs they are open for business. A major league official with another club said the Rangers have told teams they are "open to anything" but aren't yet in the mode to just dump players. And the Rangers, themselves? Well, put it this way, nobody issued any denials.

What it'd take for Rangers to be in hunt for second wild card; when Texas could consider trading Beltre, Hamels

"We didn't have a huge margin for error coming into the season from a standpoint of depth, the decisions we made on player moves and who we were committed to," Daniels said on May 1.

"Injuries have certainly eroded what depth there was. The downside is some nights we are challenged from a personnel standpoint. The upside is that a lot of guys are getting valuable experience they wouldn't otherwise get. That doesn't do a whole lot for the fans who want to see immediate returns, but long term we're going to benefit from experiences [young players] are getting."

At the time, Daniels said anything could still happen for the Rangers. But it sounded an awful lot like the club was on the verge of putting 2018 behind it and looking toward the future.

It's clear that they have moved from the verge to whatever is next.

So, what exactly is next, you ask?

A whole lot of nothing. At least for a while.

The trade deadline is July 31. Even when teams have game-changing players to deal, trades don't get made until the final week, if not minutes. The Rangers do not have game-changing players to trade. They won't impact the market but will rather ride the tides until they find a partner.

"They are willing to wait to get what they deem is fair," the official with another club said. "Or they run out of time."

And truth be told: The Rangers don't have any reason to have to rush to trade anybody. They have already called up several young players and given them significant playing time. Whenever they deem top prospect Willie Calhoun is ready, they can find time for him by shifting some bodies around. There aren't any starting pitching prospects pushing for an opportunity in the majors.

The Rangers smartest move right now is to be realistic about this team, let potential buyers know they are willing to talk and do due diligence on other farm systems. All of this they have already done or are in the process of doing.

In the meantime, expect other teams' scouts to be watching these five players closely:

Adrian Beltre

Andy Jacobsohn/Staff Photographer

Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre (29) in the dugout before the start of a Major League Baseball game between the Detroit Tigers and the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas Tuesday May 8, 2018. (Andy Jacobsohn/The Dallas Morning News)

The inconvenient truth about Beltre is that he's meant so much to the Rangers but doesn't carry near that value on the open market. He will be viewed as a 39-year-old third baseman with decreasing range, a history of soft tissue injuries, the ability to block a trade and a contract that expires at the end of the year. What Beltre did do to perhaps increase his value this week, even as he was heading back to the DL, was to acknowledge that being a DH might be a "realistic" option for him.

Cole Hamels

Smiley N. Pool/Staff Photographer

Texas Rangers pitcher Cole Hamels pitches during the first inning of a spring training baseball game against the San Francisco Giants on Saturday, March 3, 2018, in Scottsdale, Ariz. (Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News)

Currently dealing with a stiff neck, Hamels has pitched effectively lately, but he's also approaching his 35th birthday with a ton of innings on his arm. Come the deadline, there will be about $7 million left in his contract for 2018 plus a $20 million option (or $6 million buyout) for 2019. It's a significant investment for a guy who would essentially be a middle-of-the-rotation starter on a championship club. To get the most out of this deal, the Rangers would likely have to be willing to pay a chunk of what's left on his contract. And Hamels has leverage to block a trade to all but nine teams.

Keone Kela

Louis DeLuca/Staff Photographer

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Keone Kela (50) is pictured during the Houston Astros vs. the Texas Rangers major league baseball game at Globe Life Park in Arlington on Friday, March 30, 2018. (Louis DeLuca/The Dallas Morning News)

Having pitched well out of the back of the bullpen and with two more years of control past 2018, Kela might have the most value among the Rangers' trade pieces. The Rangers will have to weigh the possibility of maxing out his trade value vs. his value in the bullpen. Considering the team isn't likely to contend in 2019 and Kela could be a free agent after 2020, it might make more sense to leverage him for prospects who might contribute in 2020 and beyond. Kela has a history of injuries, which might also put pressure on the Rangers to trade him sooner than later.

Mike Minor

Jae S. Lee/Staff Photographer

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Mike Minor, right, walks to the dugout after giving up one run to the Toronto Blue Jays in 6 innings at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas, Saturday, April 7, 2018. The Rangers won 5-1. (Jae S. Lee/The Dallas Morning News)

He's a controllable starter with two years after this at less than $10 million per year. Potentially great value for an acquiring club, but he also hasn't pitched 100 innings in a season since 2014. Teams may see a middle- to back-of-the-rotation starter approaching an innings limit for 2018. It could make him a more valuable offseason trade piece. Doug Fister, signed for $4 million this year and has pitched well the last couple of times. But, again, Fister is a depth option for a contender. He's not going to bring back anything significant.

Every contender needs left-handed relief for the stretch run. Diekman is left-handed, throws hard and has been part of playoff runs in two of the last three years. But he's issued 24 walks in 251/3 innings over the last two seasons and is also a free agent at the end of the year. His value would be as a left-handed specialist. And specialists don't bring back a haul.

The Rangers are open for business but business operates on supply and demand. The question the Rangers will entertain over the next two months is: Is there any demand for their supply?